Flogging Molly live at Amoeba Music SF June 2, 2011

The seven-piece powerhouse Flogging Molly is known for their raucous shows and unique, energetic sound that is both feverishly punk and traditionally Irish. Join them in celebration of their new album,Speed of Darkness (out May 31st on SideOneDummy), for a live performance and signing that is sure to be an in-store to remember.

Founded in Los Angeles in 1997 by the Irish expatriate Dave King, Flogging Molly got its start (and its name) from a local Hollywood bar called Molly Malone's, where each week the band performed, grew their following, and laid down the blueprint for its eventual success. As every member of Flogging Molly will emphatically explain, there were no predetermined expectations for the band's sound. From week to week, as the crowds and the set list grew, the sound simply evolved organically. Traditional Celtic instruments like violin, mandolin, and accordion blended seamlessly with grinding guitars and pounding drums. Without consciously attempting it, Flogging Molly merged the music of King's childhood in Dublin with the music of his adulthood in L.A.
Drawing on the hardships and joys of their own lives and a musical history ranging from old world Celtic to modern day punk rock, Flogging Molly came together as a musical amalgam that didn’t fit into any prescribed musical categories. With a sound anchored in such diverse influences, Flogging Molly was not initially embraced by the mainstream music industry, a fact that in the early days often found them on the outside looking in, yet now seems nothing more than a footnote in their rise to success. The band simply didn't fit any preconceived notions of what a "successful" band was.
Not deterred in the least, Flogging Molly embraced a do-it-yourself mentality and found a like-minded DIY-style record label, Side One Dummy Records, whom have been the band’s label partner since their debut studio CD Swagger was released in 2000. The album features the anthemic "Likes of You Again" and "Black Friday Rule" along with the best ode to a hangover yet, "The Worst Day Since Yesterday" (which later found its way into the Angelina Jolie-Brad Pitt film, Mr. and Mrs. Smith). The album obliterated initial expectations and sold over 50,000 copies in its first year. Flogging Molly headed back into the studio to record their 2002 follow up, Drunken Lullabies (now certified by the RIAA as ‘gold’ for over 500,000 US albums sold), which includes instant classics like the rousing "Rebels of the Sacred Heart" and the doleful "The Son Never Shines (on Closed Doors)." 2004's Within a Mile of Home once more showcases the band's ability to play driving rock and roll on one track then slide effortlessly into lilting, pastoral harmonies on the next, and includes a beautiful duet between King and Lucinda Williams on "Factory Girls."
Flogging Molly's 2008 album, Float, recorded in King's native Ireland, deliveres still another iteration of the band's sonic evolution. More mature, yet retaining the immediacy that marks all of their work, Float has found the widest audience acceptance yet of any Flogging Molly album. Hard charging tunes "Paddy's Lament" and "You Won't Make a Fool Out of Me" give way, as listeners have come to expect, to more sober ruminations on tracks like "Float." The overall effect is a symphonic layering of sound that possesses a unique rhythmic flow from boisterous to bereaved and back again.
The band released Flogging Molly: Live at the Greek Theatre in March 2010. The three disc set (Double CD + full-length DVD) captures Flogging Molly’s epic performance at the Greek Theatre on September 12, 2009. The release features over 90 minutes of music spanning the band’s entire catalog. The DVD, shot in HD with over ten cameras showcases the band at one of the most beautiful venues in Los Angeles, the city where it all started. DVD bonus content includes seven Flogging Molly videos as well as behind the scenes interviews with the band.
First, last and always a live band, Flogging Molly tours quite a bit more than the average group. On the road seemingly at all times, the band is a regular on the punk-themed Warped Tour and have played nearly all of the major rock festivals in Europe, America, and Japan. Even still, their fans can't seem to get enough, and for Flogging Molly, a bar band at heart, the feeling towards their fans is mutual.
Flogging Molly isn’t just a band, they’re a seven member nuclear family. They are as devoted to one another as they are to the music they create. It's no wonder their extended family - the legion of loyal Flogging Molly fans - keeps growing every day.

Official Website: http://www.amoeba.com/live-shows/performances/san-francisco/2011-june-02/flogging-molly/artist.html